The Ties That Bind
by gwoman
Summary: AU - Someone from the past is not who they appear to be.
1. Default Chapter

Title: The Ties That Bind  
Author:gwoman  
Disclaimer:SMK and all entities thereof are property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Production.  
Time Frame:Mid 3rd Season  
Summary:Someone from the past is not what they appeared to be.  
Rating:PG  
  
  
  
The Ties That Bind  
  
*****Washington DC 9:30 pm*****  
  
He would get her back. He had to. That was all there was to it. He'd been alone long enough. No one to cook for him, clean for him. No one to take care of him after a hard days work. He needed that. He deserved it. She needed him too of course. How could she live without him? She'd love him for coming to rescue her after all this time. She'd welcome him with open arms. He knew her so well. She'd be so happy to see him she wouldn't even give his past actions a thought. God knew he hadn't. Tomorrow he thought as he drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of my life.  
  
*****King Residence 9:30 pm*****  
  
"Did you remember to pack your toothbrushes?" Amanda King hurriedly asked her family.  
  
"Yes, Mom," replied her two sons dutifully and not without a small amount of boredom at the seemingly insignificant question.   
  
When her gaze fell upon her mother she replied, "Well, Amanda, I think at my age I would know how to pack for an out of town trip. I would think that you wouldn't be ready to commit me to the old folk's home just yet, I mean, you don't hear me asking you these silly question do you?"  
  
"I'm not going, Mother," her daughter replied somewhat confused.   
  
"I mean," the older woman continued, nonplussed by the interruption, "my toothbrush is right here next t- well it's right here somewhere next to-"  
  
"The tea kettle," Jamie supplied helpfully holding up the object in question.  
  
"Oh yes, the tea kettle. The tea kettle? Oh well it must have- oh never mind it - oh Amanda," Dotty stopped mid-flight and mid-sentence in front of her daughter to put both hands on her arms as she said, "I wish you were going with us."   
  
"It's alright Mother. I know your and Aunt Lillian's tour group only had two cancellations. It makes sense that Philip & Jamie go with you. Besides, I've already seen New York. And honestly I don't think I have the energy for a two week tour. I don't know how you plan to do it."  
  
"Magnets," her mother supplied conspiratorially.  
  
"Magnets?" Amanda questioned thinking she was missing something.   
  
"Yes dear, magnets. My new friend Dr. Nolan swears by them. A couple on my wrists, a couple on my ankles and I'll be running circles around these two Dr. Nolan says." All heads turned as a horn sounded outside.  
  
"Cab's here!" yelled Philip racing for the door with his bag.  
  
"Hey, what about a hug?!" Amanda called after him.  
  
"In a minute, Mom!" Philip yelled over his shoulder already out the front door.   
  
Amanda smiled and shook her head as she said a silent prayer for Dr. Nolan's magnets. "I really wish you would have let me drive you to the airport."  
  
"Oh you know how I hate airport goodbyes, Amanda. They're always so dramatic. Besides with all the new security precautions, you wouldn't even be able to walk us to the gate," she said as she hugged her daughter goodbye. "Now we'll call as soon as we get in and you be careful while we're gone, dear. Don't let that company of yours run you ragged. Stand up for your rights."  
  
"Yes, Mother, I will," she replied hugging her back, "and I'll be waiting for your call."  
  
"Alright dear, I love you. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye Mother, I love you too."  
  
Her youngest son stepped up to her then, bag in hand, "Mom, I'm gonna take lots of pictures for you so when you look at 'em it'll be just like you were there with us."  
  
"Oh sweetheart, thank you," she said hugging him hard, "I'm gonna miss you."  
  
"I'll miss you too, Mom."  
  
"Okay slowpoke, get your bag out there! We're ready to go."  
  
"Philip," his mother began in a warning tone.  
  
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry Jamie."  
  
"Thank you, now get over here and give me a hug." He quickly crossed over to his mother and hugged her. "Now you be good," she said as she held onto him, "and look out for your brother, huh?"  
  
"I will mom," he replied.  
  
"Okay," she said releasing him, "now get outta here, both of you." Standing in front of the house waving to the cab as it pulled down the street, Amanda smiled. Her smile faded as she turned back toward the house and realized that for the next two weeks, she was going to be the sole occupant. 'Oh well,' she thought shaking off the uneasy feeling, 'I've stayed alone before, I can certainly do it again.'  
  
*****IFF 8:00 am*****  
  
Amanda King walked into the office the next day feeling uncharacteristically sluggish. She had finally gone to bed after   
hearing her mother and the boys had arrived safely but had not slept soundly. Being suddenly alone in a house she was used to sharing with three other people, she found it almost impossible to sleep. She had finally drifted off only to be awakened again by a dog howling down the street. The rest of the night fared pretty much the same till she finally crawled out of bed at the alarm's signal at 6:30 in the morning.   
  
She managed to hide her lack of sleep however under makeup and hair carefully styled into a French twist with bangs falling softly on her face. The outfit she chose added to the illusion of a well-rested employee. A pair of gray slacks with matching belt and heels and a short sleeved button down white shirt. After examining her reflection in the mirror at home, she had thought she more resembled a member of 'The Francine Desmond International Spy Club' than the 'Amanda King Suburban Housewife Club'. But she was happy with the results the few minutes more preparation had produced. From the appreciative glances she received upon walking into the bullpen, it was obvious she was not the only one pleased with the results.   
  
"Mrs. King," said Leatherneck slowly as he walked past her, "looking good."  
  
"Thanks, Leatherneck, you're. . . uh . . . looking good . . . uh yourself," she replied somewhat flustered.   
  
Upon hearing that exchange, the two agents filling their coffee mugs turned to see what had caused it. "Well, well, Amanda,"   
began Francine Desmond, "I must say you really are looking quite nice today."  
  
Amanda hesitated a moment before replying, expecting a more sarcastic remark to follow. When one didn't, she said in a genuinely happy voice, "Thank you, Francine."  
  
She only nodded in response before turning away. Lee Stetson opened his mouth to say something when Billy Melrose opened the door to the conference room and called, "Lee, Francine, Amanda." They turned to see him beckoning them into the already populated conference room.   
  
"Did I miss a memo?" quipped Francine taking the last chair. Lee and Amanda stood to the side of the door.   
  
"Alright people," Billy addressed the assembled group, "I called this impromptu meeting to bring you all up to date on a case that's come down from the New Your bureau. It involves the wife of an agent up there and we've been asked to lend him our full cooperation. Agent James?" Billy motioned for him to join him at the head of the group. A very handsome man they had not noticed upon entering the room stood and began talking.   
  
"My name is Phil James. You're no doubt all familiar with the Backyard Bandit." Murmurs of agreement echoed through the room. Most were indeed familiar with the older but notorious case in which the suspect had gotten his name by entering the homes of his victims though the backyard. "He claimed 10 victims in his killing spree which began in 1976 and seemingly ended in '80. Ten women in 4 years. All young with dark hair and eyes." His eyes lingered a split second on Amanda as he said this causing Lee to instinctively move closer to her. His eyes then flowed around the rest of the room, coming to rest on Francine and he smiled. "My wife," he said directing his attention back to the, "was murdered six months ago and the M.O. fits the Backyard Bandit to a 'T'. Now I walked in on my wife's attacker. He gained access of course through the back door. And when I entered I saw him grab my wife and he moved very distinctly. It was almost as if...well perhaps I can show you. Miss, would you . . . ?" He questioned Amanda holding out his hand.   
  
She hesitated briefly before stepping forward and accepting. There was something about this man that made her want to help him. He turned her back to him and placed one arm around her waist, the other he pretended held a gun pointed to her head. "Now, when he dragged her into the kitchen, he limped like this." Demonstrating, he dragged Amanda towards the door where she'd been standing. "Then he almost dropped her," his actions towards her mimicking his words, "but grabbed her by the arm and threw her to the wall." As his arm left Amanda's she'd been surprised and begun to fall until he suddenly grabbed her by the left arm roughly, shoving her into the mini-blinds covering the window. The loud clanging along with his suddenly violent actions catching her off guard, she could only stare. She flinched involuntarily when the hand that held 'the gun' raised as if to strike her.  
  
Momentarily stunned by the other man's openly violent behavior Amanda's visible fear was all the prompting Lee needed to step in. He grabbed Agent James' hand midair and pulled Amanda next to his body. She moved on autopilot into his offered protection but her eyes held Agent James'.   
  
He stepped away as Lee released his arm and looked down saying, "I . . . well you see what I mean."   
  
"Okay people," Billy stepped in, "see Francine for assignments," he gestured towards the packets lying on the table labeled with the names of respective teams. "James, my office, NOW!" he finished in a less that diplomatic tone. Agent James followed Billy out the door towards his office, head down.   
  
Francine began handing out assignments to all the agents gathered around her. Lee could feel Amanda trembling next to him. "Hey," he said rubbing her arms comfortingly until she flinched under his gentle touch.   
  
"Wha-" he began as he suddenly remembered James grabbing her left arm. Her back still to him he gently brought his left hand back up her arm pushing her sleeve up to reveal bruises forming where his fingers had been.  
  
"My god, Amanda," he whispered.  
  
"No, it's okay Lee," she said in an eerie voice, "I-"  
  
He turned her to face him and looking into her glassy eyes he became worried. "I - I'll just go fix my hair," she said indicating the few strands that had fallen. She moved out of the room in a daze.   
  
Lee stood watching as Francine approached, "How's Amanda?" she asked, truly concerned.   
  
Lee was still staring after Amanda and said, "Huh? Oh, Francine," his eyes reflecting his obvious concern, "would you go check on Amanda?" His expression darkened as he said, "I'm going to have a 'word' with Agent James."  
  
  
In Billy's office, James was already being chewed out royally by the section chief himself. "-EXTREMELY unprofessional! You're lucky I don't have your badge for that little stunt in there! Now just - do me a favor - get out of here for awhile. You're not gonna be too popular around here. I'll be talking with the New York office and I'll let you know IF you'll even need to stick around." He waved dismissively at him and turned away as James opened the door to leave, head down. But instead of exiting the room as he'd planned, he was suddenly propelled back into it by Lee, who grabbed him by the upper left arm and threw him into the window as he'd done to Amanda.   
  
"Scarecrow!" Billy yelled, stunned but not surprised by the younger man's actions. Lee ignored him, instead staring into the eyes of the agent whose arm he held. When he spoke, his voice was calm but threatening, "You and I will have no further problems as long as you keep your hands off my partner." The slightest look of contempt crossed James' face. Lee however took it as a look of pain considering the tight grip he held on James' arm.   
  
Agent James' voice was full of remorse as he said, "Yes, of course, I . . . I don't know . . . I just want to apologize...I-"   
  
"Forget the apologies," Lee cut him off, "just stay away from her." He let his hand drop as he finished speaking. Agent James only nodded and began rubbing his arm where Lee's finger marks were sure to show up. It was then that Billy understood the double way in which Lee had been insuring Amanda's safety. James finally moved out the door successfully, head down, his right hand still massaging his upper left arm.   
  
"How's Amanda?" Billy asked. As Lee opened his mouth to answer, another voice answered, "Fine, sir."   
  
Both men looked toward the door to see Amanda entering followed by Francine. Lee crossed the room to her immediately lifting her arm and examining it as he said, "Are you sure? Maybe you should-"  
  
Then the whole room erupted in a jumble of voices.   
  
"Lee, really, I-"  
  
"Amanda! That looks horrible-"  
  
"That's it - I am definitely recommending psych treatment for James."  
  
"I'll second that," Lee agreed to the statement uttered by Billy.   
  
"Now just wait a minute," Amanda began, "I don't know what everyone's getting so worked up over-"  
  
"Amanda, have you seen your arm?" Lee asked with a calm he didn't think he possessed at the moment. Amanda started to answer as she looked to the arm he still held. When her eyes fell on the spreading darkness of the bruises her mouth closed and her eyes regained the eerie look he had seen there earlier. In an almost hypnotic voice she began, "I was falling. He was just trying to help, to keep me from falling . . ."  
  
Lee couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was defending him! Forgetting the other two agents in the room, Lee began to reason with her. "Amanda," he said softly, waiting for her to meet his eyes which was no comfort because of the vacant look they held, "I've kept you from falling a few times, hell, I've even knocked you over once or twice. But have I ever hurt you?" He watched as her eyes slowly came alive again and registered understanding as she processed his words.   
  
"No," she said softly.   
  
"It is not okay that he did this to you, whatever the reason," he finished. She looked into his eyes again as he released her arm.   
  
She smiled at the safety she saw there and repeated, "It's not okay."   
  
They stood like that until Billy cleared his throat and said, "Amanda, I assure you, disciplinary action will be taken." Lee dropped her arm rather abruptly and quickly stepped back a few paces running his hand through his hair. He was glad to help Amanda in any way, but was a little uncomfortable in sharing such a scene with others.   
  
"Thank you, sir," was Amanda's simple response.  
  
"Amanda, are you sure you don't want the infirmary to look at that?" asked Francine placing a comforting hand on Amanda's uninjured arm.  
  
"No, Francine, the damage is already done. There's really nothing you can do for a bruise anyway. It'll fade in a few days."   
  
Lee couldn't quite place what it was about Amanda's comment that disturbed him. Was it her cavalier attitude or the fact that she seemed to be speaking from past experience. 'Of course she is Stetson,' he thought to himself, 'everyone has experience with bruises. You of all people know that. Let it go.'  
  
"I really just think we should get back to work," Amanda said, "so how about our assignment Francine."  
  
*****King Residence 9:30 pm*****  
  
The rest of the day had passed uneventfully for Amanda. She and Lee turned up no leads from their surveillance assignment. Towards the end, they'd both gotten the feeling they were on a wild goose chase and agreed to review the case on their own to see if they could come up with any leads. Lee had dropped Amanda at her car and continued on home to change before stopping to pick up the case notes on the way back to her house.   
  
Amanda had offered to run in and get them when she got out of his car. But when he had seen her exit the parking garage not two seconds behind him, he realized it must have slipped her mind. Unconsciously he noted that her mind had been elsewhere most of the day. But the thought slipped past him as his conscious mind decided to finish the drive home and change before heading back to the Agency and then on to Amanda's.   
  
Upon arriving home, Amanda changed out of her work clothes into jeans and a light blue long sleeved shirt, which she wore tucked in. Even though it wasn't a particularly cool evening, she thought it best to cover her arms. 'Out of sight, out of mind,' she told herself firmly. She then let her hair down and ran her fingers through it to loosen it hoping the twist she'd had it in hadn't left it kinky in all the wrong places. While she wasn't in the habit of actively trying to impress Lee Stetson, she wasn't in the habit of trying to scare him off either. She smiled when she saw it came out with just a little lift and a slight wave. The last thing she reached for before heading downstairs was a pair of thick comfortable socks. She'd just finished slipping them on and pulling her jeans back down around them when the doorbell rang. She jumped off the bed and hurried to answer it wondering, 'Why is Lee using the front door?' The answer shocked her even more than the question when upon opening the door she saw not Lee but Francine standing there.   
  
"Francine. Hi. Uh, come on in."  
  
****************  
As he sat in the bushes, peering through the window he'd followed her to he thought about the day's events. He was pleased. All in all, it wasn't a total loss. He had taken care of necessary business. Granted he was still alone as yet. Cooking and cleaning up, but all of that was about to change. Soon she'd be back where she belonged and his life would be as it should. Just a little patience. He watched the conversation with interest. What was she saying? Could she possibly be talking about him? Thinking about him? Oh, how he hoped so. He took one final look, then retreated to ready his plans for the rest of the evening. By tonight, she'd be aware of his presence.  
****************  
  
"Is something wrong Francine? Is it Lee? Mr. Melrose? Were you being followed?" Amanda shot off in one breath.  
  
"No, no nothing's wrong. Nobody was following me, why?" Francine asked confused.   
  
"Well . . . then . . . what are you doing here, Francine?"   
  
"Oh, I won't keep you long," Francine began, "I tried calling but no one answered so I thought I'd take a chance you might be home anyway and stop by."  
  
"Oh, sure well, what can I do for you?" Amanda asked still somewhat confused as she led her up and down the few steps into the family room.   
  
Coming to a stop behind the couch, Francine began, "Well it's . . . just . . . I-"  
  
"Francine?"  
  
"Okay here it is. Well . . . I spoke with Agent James today about the incident Amanda and he feels just terrible about it and he wants me to tell you he's sorry. Even though Lee told him to leave you alone he wanted you to know. And then well, we kept talking and he's just a mess what with his wife's murder and I felt so bad for him and he asked me out and I said yes - but if you have a problem with it I can say no," Francine finished and took a deep breath. Amanda just stood with her arms crossed and mouth open, "Are you done? I can't believe you - "   
  
"Amanda - I know I - "  
  
" -just said all that in one breath."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Well listen," Amanda continued, a little confused as to why Francine felt the need to clear the date with her first, "why should I care if you want to go out with Agent James. I told you you were all overreacting. I just wouldn't tell Lee."  
  
"Tell Lee what?" came a voice from behind Amanda. Francine jumped and then relaxed as Lee came in shutting the door behind him, reasoning that the coast must be clear if the two women were talking out in the open. "Amanda, I told you to keep the door locked. I can pick it."  
  
"There's no reason for you to pick it when I'm here and I know you're coming."  
  
"I just don't want you letting anyone else in," Lee said worried.  
  
"No one comes in my back door except you - and well Buck," she said pausing. She raised her eyes to the ceiling as she thought about that, "Maybe I'll keep it locked."  
  
"Good, now what is it you don't want to tell me?"  
  
"Oh just girl stuff," Francine answered moving back toward the front door. "What are you doing here anyway?"  
  
Lee held up the files he'd picked up at the office. "Our surveillance today was a bust. Something about this whole case just doesn't track and if you ask me, it's that James character," he said pointing his finger at her for emphasis. "We're gonna get a fresh   
look at it all. Although, I don't know how this case even falls under our jurisdiction."  
  
"Gee, I'd love to stay, really," Francine said moving even closer to the door, "but thanks for the advice Amanda, I'll let you know how it works out," she called shutting the front door behind her.  
  
"She is getting weirder and weirder . . . " Lee muttered setting the files on the coffee table and arranging them before he took he jacket off. Amanda took the time to admire how good he looked in his dark blue t-shirt and jeans. She came out of her thoughts to find Lee staring at her arm with a frown on his face.   
  
"If it bothers you that much, you don't have to stay," she tried to joke.  
  
"No, no," he sighed meeting her eyes, "I - it's just - I should have stopped him," he said looking down.   
  
Amanda sighed, searching for the right words to lift his spirits. "You're not a mind reader Lee. You couldn't have known he'd get so . . . realistic. And as I recall, you did stop him. Thank you."   
  
His face broke out into a dimpled grin as he realized she didn't blame him at all. Even though he still felt guilty that she had received even the slightest injury while in his presence, aloud he simply said, "Your welcome."  
  
After dragging her eyes away from his, Amanda took a deep breath and said, "Now let's get down to work, or you'll be here all night, not that I'd mind, I might actually get some sleep."  
  
"What do you mean? Something wrong?"  
  
She inwardly cringed at having revealed far more than she'd intended. Nothing could get her rambling like getting lost in Lee's eyes. "Oh, no, no . . . it's just that - well you know - you get used to a house full of people and when they're gone...it's -"  
  
"Lonely?"  
  
Try scary, she thought but aloud agreed, "Yeah." Then looking down she continued, "It's just that when they're here, I know what all the sounds I hear mean...you probably think it's silly."  
  
She looked up finally to find him staring at her intently. He broke his gaze and berated himself for having been caught. "Uh, no," he coughed and before he could stop himself said, "I could stay you know, here I mean, so you could sleep."   
  
She smiled then and before she knew it had said, "That would be nice."  
  
****************  
  
After going over the case for a couple of hours and going through some Chinese take-out, Amanda and Lee were more than ready for bed. Amanda had taken the couch while Lee commandeered the floor, spreading out murder reports and comparing them. "Hey Amanda," he said, finding one that caught his eye, "take a look at this." He held out the report for her to take. When she didn't, he tried again, "Amanda." Finally he looked up and saw that her eyes were closed. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost midnight. He closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. 'Glad I'm spending the night,' he thought, 'might as well lock up.'   
  
He had kicked his shoes off long ago and so moved noiselessly as he walked towards the back door. Finding it locked, he turned out the kitchen lights. He did the same at the front door and turned off the porch light. He moved back into the family room to Amanda. The moonlight coming into the room washed over her. The report she'd been reading lay open on her stomach. Lee reached down and lifted it at the same time calling softly, "Amanda." Laying the report of the table, he knelt down beside her and reached out to touch her face, trying once again to rouse her, "Amanda."  
  
"Oohh, just five more minutes, sweetheart," she mumbled reaching out to place a hand on his chest. He looked down to the small hand touching him and smiled. Realizing he wasn't going to awaken her, he reached out to pick her up. She snuggled against his body as he carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.   
  
****************  
  
Francine was practically floating as she unlocked her front door and stepped inside. She leaned back against it for a moment, eyes closed reliving the evening. After she'd left Amanda's...her thoughts drifted for a moment. 'Who'd have ever thought I'd be clearing my social calendar with Amanda King?' she asked with a shake of her head. But after what had taken place at the office earlier in the day, she'd needed to ease her mind before accepting completely. People already thought she could be enough of a heartless witch as it was without adding fuel to the fire. 'But Amanda hadn't minded,' she told herself, 'so why should it bother me or anyone else.' So she'd gone to meet Agent James, 'Phil' she thought smiling, for drinks at Nedlinger's. Conversation had come easily. They'd covered every subject they could think of. Hobbies, home life, career, travel. They'd decided they should head home when they'd noticed it was close to midnight. Now as Francine stood replaying the evening in her mind, she registered a sound coming from her kitchen. The agent in her took over. She reached for her gun as she soundlessly rounded the corner.   
  
"Meew."  
  
She jumped nearly out of her shoes, then laughed at herself out loud. "How'd you get back in?" she asked with a smile, "I could swear I put you out before I left today." As she bent to retrieve her 'intruder' she noticed out of the corner of her eye, the back door. Was it open? Or was it just the way the shadow fell? As she stood cautiously, hand on gun, cat forgotten for the moment, she heard a sound behind her. She instinctively turned her head to investigate but before her body could follow she felt a stinging sensation at the base of her skull and then nothing.   
  
"You did," a voice answered her previous question to the cat, "didn't she?"   
  
****************  
  
Amanda awoke the next morning with a start. Expecting to find herself still on the couch and it to still be dark out she had no idea how she'd gotten to bed and night had turned to day. Suddenly she remembered Lee and that he'd said something about staying and realized what must have happened. No longer confused or concerned, she scooted out from under the blanket that covered her and off the bed. She went to splash some water on her face and brush her teeth before she went to check on Lee. She moved some of her hair out of the way and held it with a clip. Looking in the mirror to determine that she was indeed decent and presentable, she headed downstairs.   
  
Her morning greeting died on her lips as she took in the sight in her family room. Lee had indeed stayed and made himself a bed on the couch. He barely fit however, and Amanda wasn't sure how well he could have slept. His arms crossed, he lay on his back and to Amanda his body looked as though it might jump up at any moment ready for action. His face however told a different story. Turned toward the couch cushions, there was such a look of peace on it. It wasn't there often. For the moment there were no secrets, no international terrorists, no threats to national security, there was no Scarecrow. Amanda looked on in wonder at the complete transformation of a man. 'I'll have to tell him someday,' she thought, 'how peaceful he looks when he sleeps.' Not wanting to disturb that peace, she moved noiselessly around the kitchen. She had made the coffee and sat with a bowl of cereal before she heard sounds of life emerging from her couch.   
  
"Morning," she called to the form that emerged and was facing away from her. She received a grunt in reply along with a raised left hand in greeting. Lee stood and stumbled out of the room. He stumbled back in a few minutes later needing a razor and a comb, squinting his eyes against the bright sunlight.   
  
She watched in silence as he moved purposefully through her kitchen. Stopping first to turn off the overhead range light. She hadn't noticed it earlier due to the excess of sunlight but guessed it had kept him company during the night. He then moved straight to the cupboard she kept the mugs in, grabbed one and poured himself a cup of coffee, fixing it just the way he liked it. He took a sip and started to wake up. Amanda wasn't the least bit surprised he knew where to find exactly what he needed. 'He's been watching us through these windows long enough,' she thought, and with a smile finished, 'but not even Lee Stetson knows where I keep the marshmallows.'  
  
"What's so funny?" Lee's slightly deeper morning voice startled her out of her reverie as he came to join her at the table.   
  
"Oh nothing," she replied, "I'm just so . . . refreshed. I slept really well, didn't hear a sound . . . in fact . . . I . . .   
don't even remember you taking me to bed. I mean, you did, right? Of course you did, how else would I get there -" she was rambling now and knew it.   
  
"Well, I tried to wake you up," Lee cut her off, "but all I could get out of you was, 'five more minutes, sweetheart.'" She blushed at that and mumbled, "I must've thought you were one of the boys." He nodded and continued, "You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you. So I carried you," he finished.   
  
Amanda opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the ringing of the telephone. Standing to answer it she said, "Hello . . . oh my gosh! Where...how...okay...okay...we'll be right there." Lee had jumped up when he heard the anxiety in her voice and stood in front of her waiting. "Francine...she...was attacked last night. Billy wants us to meet him at the hospital."  
  
*****Galilee General 9:30 am*****  
  
Lee and Amanda hurried down the corridor towards a waiting Billy. Before they could begin questioning him he held up his hands and said, "First of all, let me tell you, it looks worse than it   
is."  
  
"What happened, sir?" asked Amanda.   
  
"We just don't know. Do either of you know where Francine was last night?"  
  
"She said she was going out - ," Amanda began before cutting herself off. Billy and Lee looked at her expectantly, waiting for more information.   
  
But she was saved from answering their questioning looks by a doctor calling, "Mr. Melrose?"  
  
"How is she?" Billy asked turning quickly towards him.   
  
"All in all, very lucky, apparently she had a date last night and returned home around midnight to find an intruder. They fought and she took a blow to the back of the head. A neighbor called the police after seeing a "suspicious person" hanging around. They found her and called for an ambulance. We've had her under observation here since 12:30," he finished.   
  
"Can we see her?" asked Amanda.  
  
"I'd prefer one visitor at a time and I'd like to keep her here a little longer. If all goes well, she'll be released later today."   
  
"Thank you, doctor," Billy said.  
  
"Of course. Room 638," he said as he indicated a room around the corner to Amanda. She nodded her thanks and headed down the corridor.   
  
****************  
  
Her hand poised to open the door, Amanda paused for a moment, gathering her strength for what she knew awaited her on the other side. A body bruised and battered by an unknown attacker. 'Is it better to not know who it is that beats you?' she wondered. She was pulled from her thoughts by a pair of hands strongly grasping her shoulders from behind.   
  
****************  
  
"Ouch!" Amanda yelped involuntarily as one hand came in contact with her own freshly bruised arm.   
  
"Sorry," a deep male voice said as the hands squeezed her shoulders in response. Amanda stiffened again. The hands fell   
immediately and she turned to find herself face to face with Agent James.   
  
"Agent James," she said as she gently rubbed her arm.   
  
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry, I did it again," he said reaching out a hand to her arm then pulling back. "I came as soon as I heard. How is she? Is she awake?"  
  
"As soon as you heard?" Amanda asked confused. 'Billy said he'd only called me after Lee didn't answer at his apartment,' she thought. But aloud said, "How'd you hear?"  
  
"Oh, Billy called me . . . yeah, he knew Francine and I went out last night . . ." Amanda's mind flew back to Billy's question of just a few minutes ago asking if she or Lee knew where Francine had been last night. " . . . so, listen, as I was saying I'm kinda shook up about this whole thing. What say you and I go get a cup of coffee to calm my jangled nerves?" he asked with a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes.   
  
Amanda froze with fear as she recognized something deep inside his eyes that she couldn't quite understand. Her momentary confusion he took as consent and grabbed her free hand and pulled her toward the elevator bank.   



	2. Chapter Two

****************  
  
Inside the waiting room on the sixth floor Lee and Billy were pacing until Amanda returned. "Listen, Billy," Lee began, "Amanda and I were going over the old case files of the murders last night and - "  
  
"Oh, working late, good of you to sacrifice, Scarecrow,"   
Billy said laughing with his eyes.   
  
Lee gave him a sour look before continuing, "Yes, working. Anyway, I looked through every statement given of every murder and there was no evidence of distinctive movements like James mentioned."   
  
"So?" Billy asked, "If I remember correctly, none of the other cases involved an eye witness."  
  
"Exactly!" Lee said snapping his fingers, "So why suddenly get careless? And I know there were no other eyewitnesses, but in at least a couple of the cases there were shoeprints left in substances that fell to the floor during the attack. And in one case steps were tracked out the door in the victims blood."  
  
"What's your point man? If you got all this from the files, what makes you think James couldn't?" Billy asked.   
  
"The same thought went through my mind last night, but something about that James guy just rubs me the wrong way, so after I put Amanda to bed," at Billy's surprised look he paused then continued, "I slept on the couch - downstairs - " then he shook his head. "The point is, I called Records and found out that James just checked out the preliminary report. The full case report that he had pulled for the assignment packets was handled by Judy in Records and she verifies that he never saw it!"  
  
"Scarecrow. So he had a secretary pull and copy the files for him. That doesn't mean that he hasn't looked at it since."   
  
"But Billy," Lee pressed, "in the meeting yesterday he said the Bandit had claimed 10 victims, beginning in '76."  
  
"So."  
  
"There are only nine victims on record and the first one was documented in '77. That's the same in both the prelim and full case report."  
  
"So he misquoted the facts, he got some wrong information."  
  
"What if it's not wrong information, what if it's inside information."  
  
"What?! Are you implying - "  
  
"Think about it Billy. He states facts contrary to what we know and that whole demonstration with Amanda yesterday. I think the only reason for it was to unnerve her, which it did. She hasn't been the same since. She came into work yesterday looking great and smiling as usual. Then we went to the meeting and she's been looking over her shoulder ever since. She even admitted to being scared last night. Why do you think I spent the night?"  
  
"Scared of what though?" Billy asked with a thoughtful expression.  
  
"I don't know," Lee admitted as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, not entirely sure he wanted to find out. "Oh, and there's one more thing," he said looking his boss in the eye again, his hand resting at the base of his neck, "when I showed up at Amanda's last night, Francine was there talking with Amanda. They didn't want to tell me about what, in fact I heard Amanda say 'I wouldn't tell Lee'. Francine hurried right off. Billy, I think she went to meet James."   
  
"What time was that?" Billy asked suddenly giving Lee his full attention.  
  
"About 10:00 I'd say."  
  
"Well I want to look into that. Go get Amanda. I want to see how much of your theory she can corroborate."   
  
"You got it," Lee said as he hurried out the door toward room 638.   
  
****************  
  
As Agent James had led Amanda to the elevators, she had been gripped by a sudden fear that she hadn't felt in years. She had mumbled an excuse, yanked her hand from his and run into the bathroom locking the door.  
  
****************  
  
Lee knocked on the door and called, "Francine, it's me. Okay to come in?"  
  
"Come on in, Lee."  
  
He opened the door to find Francine sitting up in bed eating chocolates. "Well, it's not too bad," Lee said tilting his head in examination of her, "looks like you went a little overboard with the eye shadow though," he said pointing to a purple bruise forming over her left eye.   
  
"Ha-ha." Francine returned.  
  
"How are you?" he asked seriously.  
  
"Fine as I can be. I honestly don't remember too much. I had just come home and I hear a sound in the kitchen. It was Buttons. But as I was picking him up, someone hit me from behind. Apparently I hit my eye on the way down," she said touching it gingerly. "Where's Philip? I want to thank him for finding me."  
  
"What?" Lee asked confused. "Philip . . ." The only Philip he knew was Amanda's son, Jamie's brother.   
  
"Yes, Philip James. I could've sworn I heard him right before I blacked out."  
  
Lee's face drained of color. "Philip . . . James . . ." he whispered.   
  
"Lee? What's wrong?" Francine asked in a worried voice.  
  
"Francine, where's Amanda? When'd she leave?"   
  
"Amanda? She was never here. Well not inside anyway. I heard her earlier right outside the door. She said, 'Ouch.' Why?   
Lee, what's wrong?"  
  
"Philip James," he repeated, "the names of Amanda's sons, the demonstration yesterday, Amanda afraid, I don't know how yet, but it's all starting to make sense." He ran out the door, gun in hand.  
  
****************  
  
"Come on, Amanda, I don't have all day," James called, "I have to talk to you." She watched in horror as the knob began to turn and the door opened, revealing 'Philip James' smiling face, right hand holding up a lock pick. "Never leave home without it," he said smiling. He held out his hand to her, "Come on now," he coaxed with a toss of his head. She moved obediently towards him apparently having lost all free will.  
  
Lee rounded the corner to see them entering the elevator. "Amanda!" he yelled desperately. James turned to see him standing there, gun drawn. His face contorted in rage and he turned toward Amanda, slapping her roughly across the cheek. The last thing Lee saw before the doors closed was Amanda falling to the floor in a heap.   
  
" 'manda!" he yelled again, willing her to somehow free herself. His panic had left him immobile and too late, he lurched forward banging his fist against the barrier separating him from his partner. He looked up to see which direction the car was going and as soon as the 5 lit up he was through the stairwell door and taking the steps down two at a time. He stepped out of the stairwell to see the elevator continuing down. He ran down the next flight and stopped to check again. He continued this to the ground floor only to see it going one floor lower. As the doors opened in the basement, Lee cautiously approached, gun drawn but held close, as the doors opened he jumped out, weapon first.   
  
Amanda lay on her side in the corner facing the wall. Lee stepped closer and looked around. The ceiling tiles had been removed, revealing James' escape route. Lee forgot about him the second as Amanda moaned, "Oooohh . . .," her voice faded away.   
  
"Amanda," Lee called softly dropping to the ground next to her. He turned her towards him, holding her head in his lap. He heard her sharp intake of breath as he moved her. "Hold on, Amanda," he said, "I'm gonna get help." He leaned a little and pressed the button for the lobby. As the doors closed and they began moving, he took in her bloody nose and lip and the slight discoloration on her left cheekbone. He gently wiped the blood from her mouth with his thumb. He moved his hands down her sides feeling for any broken bones. Finding none, he moved to gently pick her up. When the doors opened, he stepped out into the lobby and walked carefully across the way to the emergency room. "A doctor," he called quietly but firmly, "I need a doctor. I'm a federal agent and I need a doctor."  
  
****************  
As he thought about what had gone wrong, he realized he had two problems. First of all, she didn't seem to want to go with him. He couldn't understand it. Hadn't he been everything she ever wanted. She was certainly all he ever wanted. Why couldn't he be enough for her. Why did she always want to change things. 'Stubborn,' he thought, 'she's just so stubborn.' Well he could change that. Especially now that he had leverage. He thought of his other problem. 'He's always around. How am I ever going to get her back if he's always around? I'm just going to have to . . . . get rid of him. I think I can handle that.'   
****************   
  
The intern Lee had sent after Billy pointed the pacing man out to the section chief before departing. Billy quickly crossed the distance and asked, "Lee, what's wrong?" Though on taking one look at his top agent's malevolent expression, he suddenly wasn't sure he wanted to know.   
  
"Agent James," was the low, barely controlled response. He stood still now but for the constant clenching and unclenching of his fists that seemed to move in time with the clenching of his jaw.   
  
"What?" asked the confused section chief, "I thought we were going to check with Amanda before going any further with this."  
  
"Check with Amanda," he began in the same low threatening tone, "check with Amanda! You do that Billy!" Careful not to raise his voice too loud, he continued, "You go in there and ask her why James beat her in the elevator and then took off! You do that! Cause I sure as hell wanna know!" At Billy's shocked expression, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly while looking up at the ceiling. "Aahh . . . Billy, I'm sorry. I don't mean to take this out on you, but when I think of how he HIT her . . . " he again clenched his jaw and dropped his head, leaving the threat unfinished, "Why, why would anyone want to hurt Amanda, Billy? She's the kindest, most loveable person I know . . . and he just - "   
  
Sensing that he was picking up steam again, Billy knew that he had to distract him before he did something rash. He also picked up on the fact that Lee did indeed find Amanda 'loveable'. While tucking that bit of information away for later, he knew he had to handle first things first. "Lee, before I can help you or Amanda, and believe me, I want to, I need to understand the problem. I need you to start at the beginning."  
  
Just then a doctor approached them. "Mr. Stetson?"  
  
"Yes, how is she?"  
  
"She's resting now. She's sustained no lasting injuries, a few minor cuts and bruises . . ." his voice drifted off at Lee's darkening expression. "Uh, if . . . you'd like to see her," he gestured towards the examining area. Lee was moving before the doctor had finished speaking, leaving Billy to answer any questions.   
  
As he approached the curtain she was hidden behind, he could make out muffled murmurings and as he quickly drew back the barrier he found her tossing restlessly before she awakened fully, nearly coming off of the bed.   
  
"Whoa, hey, easy. Amanda, easy, it's me, Lee," he told her soothingly quickly sitting beside her on the bed and rubbing his hands up and down her arms. She only nodded and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths before opening them to look reluctantly into his. He waited patiently.   
  
She looked down again before saying in a near whisper, "I guess we need to talk, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," he responded softly, "I think we do."  
  
"Well, um," she paused to clear her throat, "do you think we could wait until Billy and Francine are with us? I only want to say   
this once." She raised her eyes to his again as she waited for his answer.   
  
Smiling sadly at the bruised woman before him, he nodded.   
  
****************  
  
Lee and Amanda had emerged from the examining area to find Billy putting out an APB on Agent James. The three had then made their way silently to Francine's room. Billy led the way, leaving Lee and Amanda to follow at their own pace. Though not a word was said, the comfort she sought and the support he offered were evident to all they passed. She walked next to him, her right hand in his left, her left softly gripping the same arm. His right hand comfortingly covered the hand she had placed on his arm. Leaving them with next to no space between their bodies as they moved down the corridors as one. He wondered if she consciously realized how close they were, and if she welcomed it as much as he did.   
  
Upon entering Francine's room they found her up and dressed. She explained that she was just awaiting her release forms. Taking in the lack of enthusiasm for her release, she scanned the faces of the friends before her. When she came to Amanda's slightly bruised face, she sat down on the bed and silently waited for the explanation. Lee settled Amanda in a chair next to the bed, giving her hands a final comforting squeeze. He then moved away from her needing the physical space to reveal all that he'd informed Billy of just, what felt like hours earlier. After sharing all he'd learned, another silence followed. He looked to Amanda, his expression silently pleading with her to fill in what he couldn't, feeling sure deep down that what she had to say was tied to all he'd found out. She met his eyes briefly as she fought the panic within her. This wasn't how she wanted to do this. She'd never wanted to have to do this, never expected to and so was now unprepared for how to begin. As she stood with a shuddering breath, the other agents in the room tried to prepare themselves for what they were about to hear.   
  
"We," she stopped as her voice failed. She cleared her throat and placed her palms together as she slowly began walking the length of the wall. The distraction of motion gave her just enough confidence to try again. "I...you know I was married before... to Joseph King." She'd reached the end and turned back in the pattern she was to follow throughout her narrative. "Uh, we were happy . . . I thought." She shrugged as if that thought didn't matter. "Philip was born, Joe started law school . . . that's when he started drinking. He - he wasn't a good drunk. He'd throw things. He broke a lot of stuff," she paused as though remembering it all. She breathed deeply before continuing, "He never hit me though. And we still had some really good times, when he was sober. He'd get mad at Philip a lot." She seemed to sense the tension from Lee and quickly added, "He never hurt him, just didn't seem to care for him much . . . his own son," she mused silently. "It was like he somehow blamed him for our lives changing. So when I found out I was pregnant with Jamie, I, well I wasn't sure how he'd react."  
  
The slow pacing of the wall never stopped, though, now she was becoming more animated and gesturing with her hands every now and then. "I'd finally decided I had to tell him. I arranged for Philip to spend the night at a friend's house. I had a romantic dinner all planned . . . candles . . " she smiled softly at the memory and the pacing paused. She shook her head and stared at the pattern of floor tile before resuming her pacing. Lee knew the hard part was coming and tried to brace himself for it.   
  
"He'd already been drinking...a lot. And I think he might've been using drugs. Because he was wild. He came in yelling. I don't remember about what. I just remember being glad I'd sent Philip away and - and afraid of what he was going to do to me. He started knocking things over. Chairs, tables, and he came at me . . . . I have never been so scared in my life . . . . not for me so much. I was afraid for the baby. It was almost as if he knew because he just started punching me. I don't - I don't really remember everything else. Then he was on top of me. Choking me." Her hands unconsciously moved to her neck, "Then all of a sudden, he just collapsed." Silence filled the room as she stood remembering the past.   
  
"I was so stunned and out of breath. I just laid there until a hand reached down to help me up. It was my closest friend at the time, Julie. She lived next door. She'd stopped by to pick up Philip's blanket and had seen what was going on through the window. He'd left the back door open, so she ran in and hit him over the head with one of the silver candlestick holders I'd set the table with. They were heavy . . . and . . . that was that. There was blood all over . . . . head wounds you know . . . . I - we were in shock. Hysterical really. Julie told me to pack a bag and go . . . and I did. She said she'd take care of everything . . . and she did. I went and picked up Philip and left town. I went to Mother and daddy's and never looked back. I always thought Julie killed him that night when she hit him. But I never checked . . . and I never heard from her again."   
  
"I was afraid at first. Then Jamie was born, and he was perfect. Then a year went by and no one came to put me in jail. Then two . . . and I never heard a word. Joe . . . didn't have any family. Time passed and daddy died and we moved and life got better and better and . . . . then there was the train station . . . . and," she shrugged, "here we are. I . . . I never planned on telling you any of this. I just wanted to forget."  
  
She finally stopped pacing and looked at the faces of her co-workers. Instead of finding the expected ridicule and disgust, she saw only compassion and understanding. Francine moved to give her a hug, releasing her as Lee moved to do the same. Billy held back still processing all the information he was soon going to have to take action on.   
  
"So, what you're telling me, Lee, is that you suspect Agent Philip James, is the Backyard Bandit. And Amanda, that Philip James is your ex-husband, Joseph King. Lee nodded and once again took hold of Amanda's hand as she answered, "Yes, sir."  
  
****************  
He was going to be ready this time. She wouldn't surprise him again. Neither would any of her friends. He'd surprise them. He knew they'd be looking for them. This was perfect, it was the last place they'd ever think to look for him. He'd been one of them for long enough to know how they thought. 'Hell,' he thought laughing, 'I even trained some of them how to think. Gave 'em all great insights into the criminal mind. If they only knew how 'criminal' my mind really was. Oh man, this is great. I can't believe everything's finally going my way.' With that final thought he began to ready his plans to put it all to an end.   
****************  
  
"I mean come on, Billy, think about it. It all fits," Lee stated emphatically.   
  
"Believe me, Scarecrow, I'm on your side, not his. But I'm going to need to have hard proof to make this stick. And I mean hard! Unfortunately that's the one thing in short supply around here. All we've got to go on is gut feelings and speculations." Billy finished in frustration.   
  
Francine cleared her throat, breaking the tense silence that followed Billy's statement. "Billy's right. We need to get proof so   
we can put this bastard away, whatever his name is. I'm just wondering Amanda, why didn't you recognize him right off? I would say it's a safe bet he's disguised himself somehow. Was it plastic surgery, what? And why? Did he expect to run into you and not want you to recognize him-"  
  
"Whoa-Francine, slow down. I don't think Amanda has the answers to these questions anymore than you do," Lee said. Then looking at Amanda's bowed head, he finished, "But we'll find out...first, though, Billy I want to get Amanda home. We know now she's a definite target and I'd feel better having the home court advantage on this one. I'd suggest you watch out too Francine. I think James was behind your behind your 'break-in' last night. Though I think it was more for show. I don't think he'll try anything else now that he knows we're on to him...just watch your back, huh?"   
  
Billy nodded his agreement. "I'm with you on that, Lee." Then approaching the two he stopped in front of Amanda to offer his own comforting presence. "Amanda," he began, placing a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up questioningly into his eyes, "I just want you to know, we're going to take care of this. You're going to be just fine. You're one half of one of my best teams. I'm not going to let that go without a fight. None of us are."  
  
"Thank you, sir," she said with a slight crack in her voice.   
  
She and Lee began moving towards the door when Billy's voice caused them to turn back. "Oh, and Amanda, I want you to know, what you told us here in this room today, stays here."   
  
At the unexpected but not surprising show of friendship, Amanda felt the first real smile, since she'd dredged up the memories of the past, cross her face. She looked briefly from Billy to Francine's sympathetic face and was only slightly surprised to see her nod her agreement. Amanda turned back toward the door as she felt the comforting pressure of Lee's hand on her back. Together they walked silently from the room.   
  
****************  
  
Soon after Lee and Amanda left, Francine's discharge papers were brought up and signed. Together she and Billy headed for the Agency to find out what they could about Joe King, picking up where Amanda's knowledge stopped. After gathering all they could on that subject, they planned to begin the search for the beginnings of Philip James.   
  
****************  
  
As they headed towards the house in Arlington that Lee hoped would bring some comfort to his pensive partner, he could feel her tenseness increase by leaps and bounds. Not sure why the increasing proximity of her home seemed to be affecting her so negatively, he decided for the time being they could wait things out at a more neutral location and immediately changed course, taking them instead to his apartment. As they changed direction he could feel her begin to relax. Though he wondered if she realized it at all. Upon arriving he immediately went to help her out of the car.   
  
"You know," she said, breaking the silence that had enveloped them since leaving the hospital, "Joe never did things like that."  
  
Not knowing whether her mind was at the moment in the past or present, Lee had to ask, "Things like what?"  
  
Looking off into the distance over his shoulder, she answered, "Oh, you know, open my door, hold my chair....hold my hand," she finished looking down to the hand that he now held firmly. Lee looked down also as she continued, "I don't know, maybe I should have taken it as a sign."  
  
Lee looked up at her face again as she continued to stare at nothing. "Hey, come on," he said coaxing her towards the door to the building, "let's go inside. Maybe we'll even find something to eat. I think I may just have a thing or two in my kitchen after going   
shopping with a very good friend of mine."   
  
His attempt to lighten her mood did not go unnoticed or unrewarded. Turning to walk with him, she said with a smile, "Boy, you must really be getting desperate if you've stooped to accepting shopping dates. What would Francine think?"   
  
Carrying on the light banter, Lee said, "Aww, I don't know, I think she might actually be starting to approve of this particular   
partner." Only upon reaching his front door did he release her hand to let them into the apartment. Once inside, Lee directed Amanda to the couch where he propped up pillows for her and then instructed her to lay down while he went to prepare some lunch for them. Seeing that protesting was getting her nowhere, Amanda gave in and laid back to relax. She listened to him move around in the kitchen and allowed herself to be lulled into a light sleep. She knew the affects of the rush of adrenaline she'd experienced upon realizing who Philip was and the subsequent attack were beginning to leave her. The tiredness she felt was natural along with the aches and pains that were beginning to show up in the places where she'd been hit.   
  
Lee returned in a matter of minutes with two well stacked ham sandwiches, chips, and wine. Hearing him approach, Amanda moved to sit up slowly. Taking in the contents of tray he carried she tilted her head and questioned, "Wine, huh? What exactly are we celebrating?"   
  
"Well, when we went on that little excursion to the supermarket, we forgot to pick me up some 'normal people' beverages. So it's wine for now. Besides, I thought it was appropriate. If we're going to experience a little bit of the normal, I think we should also experience a little of me. You can't expect me to go normal cold-turkey, it could be detrimental to my health."  
  
Amanda held her side as she shook her head and laughed at his reasoning and the fact that he was teasing her about something that had been a concern to her early on in their relationship. "Mmm...I didn't realize I was so hungry." After taking a bite, she sighed in appreciation, " This is really very good, Lee."   
  
He simply smiled and nodded his thanks as for the next few minutes the two friends concentrated on eating and relaxing. As they neared the end of their meal, Amanda caught Lee staring intently at her looking as though he wanted to say something but was afraid. It was the same look Philip or Jamie got when they were about to ask for something they really wanted but were afraid she'd say no to.   
  
Finally she couldn't stand it anymore and asked, "Lee, is there something you want to say?"  
  
He took a deep breath and let it out as he shook his head with wonderment at the fact that she seemed to be reading his mind. "It's just...well, Amanda," he tried again. She waited patiently as she saw him struggling with what he wanted to say, not sure why it seemed to make him so uncomfortable.   
  
"Well what I want to say, is...we're friends, right?" He looked up and waited as she nodded. "Well, I just wanted you to know that. I -you-and well, if you ever needed anything..."  
  
He let the thought hang as he looked down before looking at her face to gauge her reaction.   
  
"You're the first one I'd go to," she said placing her hand on his.   
  
He smiled broadly as he responded by patting her hand and saying, "Good, good. And if there's ever anything you need to talk about. Anything at all. You can tell me, I can handle it."  
  
She smiled shyly at him before looking down, trying to gather her thoughts. "I've never told anyone about Joe before. Other than the fact that I was married and had two kids and my ex-husband works abroad. The truth is...I-I never wanted you to know. At first, I was afraid you'd think I was weak," as he began to protest, she held up her hand to stop him.   
  
"I know that's not true, now. But as time went on, I just wanted to forget. And after meeting you, I almost did. Oh sure, I mean, something would bring it to mind every now and then-"  
  
"Like me hitting you," he growled in self-disgust. "Oh, Amanda, I am so sorry. I never meant it to get that out of hand, I-"  
  
"Hey, hey," she interrupted, reaching out to place a hand on his cheek. As she did, he closed his eyes and leaned into it torturing himself once again with the memory of the case he'd been on when he'd forcefully struck Amanda across the face while undercover.   
  
"I forgave you," her voice interrupted. He opened his eyes to see her staring straight into them, "Now I need you to. Lee, if   
you never do anything for me again, please do this one thing. I need my friend, my partner, no regrets. Can you do that? Will you do   
that for me?"  
  
Looking into her sincere brown eyes, he saw that they held nothing but admiration. No fear, no contempt. Just....  
  
He suddenly looked away and cleared his throat as he thought he saw something he wasn't quite ready to deal with yet. He wondered briefly if she was able to see the same thing in his eyes. Deciding to move to any other topic, he settled on the first one that came to mind, suddenly wishing he hadn't. "Did you love him?"  
  
Her initial shock at his blatant question showed momentarily on her face before she hid it. "Wh-I-," she stumbled looking for   
words.  
  
"I'm sorry," Lee immediately broke in. "That's not what I meant." He sighed, "It's just that I need all the facts to have any chance at catching James-er-Joe. I didn't mean to pry." He looked down at his shoe, suddenly finding it very interesting.  
  
Amanda sat back into the couch cushions as she thought about his question and the reason behind it. She knew he did need certain information considering the turn the case had taken, but would knowing that really help? She didn't know. All she did know was that she trusted the man sitting across from her, studiously peering at his tennis shoe from all possible angles, with her life. Why not her heart? To a certain degree. 'Don't give too much away, Amanda, don't scare him off just yet. Not now when it's just starting to get good.'  
  
Amanda's deep breath brought his eyes back to hers. He could see her struggling with just how much to reveal to him. "I was in love with him." She nodded her head slowly as though trying to convince herself of that fact now. She shrugged, "He's the father of my children...you have to understand, Lee, I remember a time when he was good." She shook her head. "Before whatever, happened, happened. I'm not saying I want to go back..."   
  
Again their eyes met and the desire was evident to each as the room suddenly seemed to glow from the rush of electricity between them. "No," she repeated softly, reaching out unconsciously to wrap his hand in hers. "I don't want to go back."  
  
His slightly self-conscious smile was all the confirmation she needed to see that he understood her meaning and did indeed feel the same way. As he looked down at their intertwining hands, he recalled something she'd once told him. Something about people in love wanting to touch each other. 'It's true,' he thought, 'our bodies know it even if they haven't let us in on the secret. Although, I'm beginning to get the picture.'   
  
Suddenly she was afraid to let the quiet intimacy they were sharing last another second. Worried he might back out, giving her the standard line, she decided to speak first and move them back to safer grounds than the heart. "I think that's why, though."  
  
Her voice brought him back to the present away from his thoughts and he realized he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Wanting to get in on the conversation before it was completely lost to him, he asked, "Why, what?"   
  
"Why I wanted to help him when he asked me in that meeting. I recognized something in his eyes...and now I know what," she finished. I didn't recognize him physically. He's changed his appearance somehow. I couldn't tell you how right off hand. Only that he did, but he couldn't hide his eyes."   
  
As she looked deep into the eyes of her partner she thought to herself, 'And neither can you, not for much longer anyway, but I'll back off for now, to give you the time you need. Just don't wait too long.'  
  
****************  
  
At the Agency, Billy and Francine were wading through file after file. Their first attempts to garnish any information were met with futility, in that all they came across was what they already knew.   
  
Francine was the first to point out their lack of progress. "Billy, this is ridiculous. It's almost as if he fell off the face of the earth at the point where Amanda's knowledge of the situation stops!"   
  
The Section Chief sighed in frustration before replying, "I can see that, Francine. But where else can we look? We've searched the obituaries, police reports, and even the newspapers for anything suspicious around the time that Amanda left with the kids....nothing."   
  
Shaking her head in disgust at their apparent dead end, Francine opened her mouth to reply when she suddenly snapped her fingers and said, "What about the neighbor?" At Billy's blank look, she elaborated, "You know, the one Amanda said was babysitting for her. The one who hit Joe with the candlestick....what was her name?"  
  
Billy's face suddenly registered understanding. "Julie. That's right. It's worth a shot. We're not getting anywhere going in the direction we're headed."  
  
"I'll go see if I can get a last name from our computers. I really don't want to have to bother Amanda with any of this unless it's absolutely necessary." She stopped at the door before opening it and turned back to face her boss with an unreadable expression on her face.   
  
"I know I haven't always treated Amanda with...well I haven't...oh let's face it, I've been a world class witch. But all that stops from here on out. She doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. She never did, I guess I was just...jealous."  
  
Billy smiled at his assistant before softly replying, "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that, Francine. And I bet there are a couple of other people who will appreciate it as well."  
  
"You...won't mind keeping this little confession just between us, will you Billy? I mean, I'm going to lose enough dignity as it is, without those two knowing I've been wrong all along. Can't we just chalk this up to feeling guilty about what she's been through?" Francine asked in desperation.  
  
Billy's face showed the genuine happiness he felt as he managed to say with all the seriousness he could muster, "Just between us."  



	3. Chapter Three

*****King Residence 9:30pm*****  
  
A light rain had begun to fall just before the Corvette reached 4247 Maplewood Drive. For a moment the two occupants sat in silence, taking in the uncharacteristic darkness of the house in front of them. Amanda was so deep in thought that she jumped as the sound of Lee's voice broke the silence.   
  
"Well, we should probably get inside before it gets any worse, huh? I bet Billy and Francine will be here any minute." With that he exited the vehicle and ran around the front to open the door for his partner. Using his body to shield her from the now steadily falling rain, he hurried them to the side of the house, which allowed the eaves to afford them a brief reprieve from the unexpected shower. Pulling his arm from around her body, he then reached down to take hold of her hand and continued leading her towards the back door.   
  
As they reached their destination, a light from the neighboring yard allowed him to look briefly at her and he caught the smirk on her face and the question in her eyes. He was about to ask her what was so funny when he realized what he'd unconsciously done. He'd naturally led her to the back door to enter her own home, completely bypassing the front door on the way there. He watched her amusement grow as she saw that he understood what he had done. Preferring to forgo all manner of teasing on the subject, Lee simply opted for a one word-answer to her unasked question.  
  
"Habit," he said shrugging. He then stepped aside allowing her to unlock the door with her key, rather than picking his way inside, in order to maintain some shred of dignity. Watching her, he caught the amused shake of her head as she entered the house. She walked through the room and immediately began turning on lights.   
  
Amanda was somewhat surprised at the condition of the room. They'd left in such a hurry this morning that she hadn't had the time to notice that Lee had picked up after their late night work session. Empty take-out containers were gone, the coffee table was back in place with the files all neatly piled on top. While she deeply felt the kindness of the simple act of this man, it once again brought home all that she'd missed out on with her husband. She couldn't remember a single time he'd ever picked up a room so she wouldn't have to. 'And there were plenty of opportunities,' she thought sadly to herself. Sighing and shaking her head to clear away the unwanted thoughts, she moved into the kitchen to start some water boiling for tea.   
  
As he followed her into the house, shutting the door behind him, Lee stopped to watch her light the room. He was pleased with himself for cleaning up last night when he saw her surveying the room with satisfaction. And though her back was to him, the slight slump of her shoulders also told him that seeing it had just caused her sadness. Not having the slightest clue what to do or say to make everything alright, he simply followed her into the kitchen and removed his jacket to let it dry on the back of one of the kitchen chairs before moving to take a seat on a barstool.   
  
Amanda moved away from the sink to place the now full kettle on the burner and looked at it for a moment before placing her hands on either side of the counter and leaning into it. It was a posture he had seen her strike many times in her kitchen when she was deep in thought. Though he doubted she even realized she did it or that she had been observed as many times as she had.   
  
Watching her a moment more before deciding to say *something* Lee mused, "Huh, the kitchen, that's funny, I do my best thinking in the shower."   
  
"What?" she asked, her eyes never leaving the kettle.   
  
'Oh shoot!' he thought, 'Did I say that out loud?' He cleared his throat and ignoring his previous statement, asked, "Uh, Amanda? Is...everything okay?"   
  
"Hm?" She questioned dragging her eyes away from the tea kettle to find him staring quizzically at her. "Oh, yeah...fine," she said smiling warmly and reaching across to pat the back of his hand comfortingly.   
  
He couldn't help but smile back at her while he thought to himself how amazing she was. Here, one of the darkest and most private pieces of her past had been revealed, and despite all the conflict of dealing with it, *she* was comforting *him*. She moved away from him to pull cups from the cupboard in preparation for the tea. Still having no idea where to begin comforting his friend he desperately wanted to try. He thought for a moment and broached the subject the only way he knew how.   
  
"You know we're gonna catch this guy, Amanda," he questioned her. "And when we do..." he growled letting the threat hang, rather than finish the thought in front of her.   
  
Amanda looked over at her partner and what she saw scared her. Though he was now focused on his thoughts, his face set in a determined glare, the look in his eyes she recognized as one reserved for his most arch of enemies. She had seen it, here and there over the years she had come to know him and just a few months earlier when he'd come in contact with one of the darker parts of his own history. When he'd had to deal with the man who'd killed Dorothy.   
  
Though her partner was an honest and law-abiding man, who never used his position for personal gain, she had been terribly afraid that he'd killed an innocent man in Paul Barnes. Afraid of what would happen to him, that he'd be taken away somewhere to serve a prison term or otherwise be punished for his actions. While in the end, he in fact hadn't killed anyone, *and* caught the real killer, there were too many wildcards in this situation to tell what he'd do if presented with the opportunity to rid the world of Joe King. She had faith enough in him to know he'd do the right thing, but even she wasn't sure what that was. She moved over to stand in front of him and said, "Lee...the law. We have to abide by the law."   
  
He allowed his eyes to meet hers and decided not to voice the thought that Joe King hadn't, so why should he. His face still showed the danger he was capable of, but as he nodded his agreement, his eyes held the promise that he would indeed let the law, not personal feeling guide his actions.   
  
She smiled when she saw his eyes soften and was about to say something when the tea kettle announced that it had boiled, causing her to jump and cry out in surprise. Putting her hand over her heart to insure that it didn't jump out of her chest, she pointed an accusatory finger at his calm demeanor and barely suppressed laughter. "Yo-you knew that was going to happen!"  
  
Any bit of control left him as he began laughing out loud, "Of course I did, so did you." Her glaring at him only caused him to laugh even harder. She continued to glare at him as she poured two cups full of hot water, carefully handing him one. He calmed down as he took the scalding liquid from her, apologizing, "Alright, I'm sorry, Amanda. It's just that I heard it getting close to boiling so it didn't catch me off guard." Then leveling the index finger of his right hand at her he said, "An agent always has to be aware of his surroundings. Could mean the difference between life and death."   
  
He was standing next to his barstool now, cup in one hand, the other still pointed at Amanda. She stood facing him, hands on hips, lips pursed, eyes narrowed. Her mouth opened to reply but she was cut off by a light tapping on her kitchen window.   
  
The next instant was filled with chaos as the sound caught Lee off guard and he jumped, causing the hot liquid to slosh onto his hand. He let out a yell of pain and released his hold on the mug, allowing it to crash to the floor only to be caught in the back splash of hot water. He yelled again and tried to pull the denim from his left leg where the water had hit in patches. Amanda jumped around the barrier of the island to assist him all the while motioning wildly to Billy and Francine to enter. Their boss and his assistant however were too enthralled by the dance of the Scarecrow to move at all and so stood just out of the reach of cover the eaves provided, getting wetter by the second.   
  
"Amanda!" Lee growled, his frustrations finding their usual vent, "Why'd ya hafta fill that cup so full?!" he groaned as he stood with his burned left hand outstretched and rubbed at the stinging on his leg with his right.   
  
"Oh, Lee, I'm *so* sorry," she cried sincerely before the first wave of laughter left her body. Her arm across his shoulders, she hunched over with him, moving them to the sink.   
  
"Amanda, this is *not* funny!" he stated in a tight voice.   
  
"Oh, Lee. Yes it is. An agent always has to be aware..." she repeated through her laughter as her hand reached down to carefully bring his to the cool water.   
  
He closed his eyes as he sighed in relief at the instant comfort. When he opened them again, he looked in confusion out the window he was facing. "Ah, Amanda? Why are Billy and Francine standing out in the rain?"  
  
"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed running over to her door and flinging it open. "Sir! Francine! Come on in here before you catch your deaths of cold!" she commanded in a motherly tone. The two complied almost immediately, shutting the door behind them. Francine set down her purse and the folder of information they had brought to go over. Amanda left them standing there to rush into the laundry room to find them something to dry off with.   
  
When Amanda had left him to go usher Billy and Francine inside, Lee's hand had drifted out from under the comforting wash of cool water and immediately began to burn. He thrust it back under the steady stream while angrily eyeing the broken mug and puddle of now innocuous water as if trying to find some way to do it even more harm for the wound it had inflicted.   
  
Billy and Francine had by now shaken off their shock at surprising Lee and the 'dance' they had witnessed and were laughing openly, at what they knew to be great expense to their lives. Amanda could hear their laughter as she rummaged through the laundry waiting to be folded and found two clean towels. She silently prayed that they would let it go soon or Lee would surely find some way to make them pay. Her included. After all, she had laughed first.   
  
Lee turned his unhappy gaze from the floor to their now silent but still smiling faces. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "Oh, you think this is funny do you?" He looked surprisingly calm as he stood leaning over the sink, allowing his hand to soak. "Fine, fine, laugh now, but I warn you," he said as he unthinkingly removed his hand to point at them for emphasis, forgetting the burning pain that would accompany that removal, "aaagggghhh!" Their laughter started up again at his poor attempt of a threat.   
  
"Lee!" Amanda admonished in concern, as she all but threw the towels at Billy and Francine in her rush to get over to him, "You've got to keep your hand in the water. Oooohhh, that looks bad." The burn on Lee's hand, which looked to be at least 2nd if not 3rd degree, was already blistering and was obviously extremely painful. Amanda held his injured hand in place under the water with one of her own while comfortingly rubbing his arm with her other hand to calm him down. Billy and Francine watched in wonder as he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let the scowl leave his face. He opened his eyes to smile thankfully at Amanda before turning his attention back to the other two in the room. Smiling calmly he said, "You'll get yours."  
  
Francine, knowing when to quit, thought a change of subject would be wise, "Amanda, do you think you have something we could..." her voice trailed off as she indicated their sopping clothes.   
  
"Uh, yes," agreed Billy, "I don't want to ruin your furniture Amanda, just because we couldn't get out of the rain fast enough."  
  
"Oh, yes," she replied looking over her shoulder at them. "Yes, of course. Sure I can...yeah, I think I...yeah, I'll go find you something," she replied all the while furiously trying to think of what she could offer them to wear while she dried their wet clothes. "Now, Lee," she began as though talking to a child, "I want you to keep your hand under the water till I get back, do you understand?"  
  
He nodded as he rolled his eyes at her tone, "Yes, Amanda, I understand."  
  
"Good," she said patting him on the shoulder, "now, I'll be right back," she paused as she looked again at her two wet friends, "right back."  
  
As she hurried up the steps to her bedroom to find her robe for Francine, she suddenly remembered it had been part of a science experiment gone wrong and was in the laundry room waiting to be washed. She changed course and went instead into her mother's room to grab the spare robe she wouldn't have taken to New York and then into Philip and Jaime's room to get one of theirs. Still not entirely sure who would wear what and how it would work out, she was almost to the door when she heard a 'clunk' behind her.   
  
She stood paused in mid-step, eyes wide, body paralyzed with fear. Suddenly she felt eyes on her. A second passed, she heard nothing more. Felt no one approach her. From below, she heard Lee call out to her, "Amanda? You okay?"  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut and thought, 'I just need to get back down there. Please let me get back down to Lee.' Before what little courage she mustered at the sound of his voice could fail her, she whirled around to face her attacker.  
  
****************  
  
Below, Lee still held his hand under the running water, per Amanda's parting instructions. His hand looked awful and was beginning to feel worse even under the constant cool stream of water. Billy had gone into the den to remove his wet clothing while he waited for Amanda to bring him something dry. Francine had taken the laundry room. While they waited for her to turn up, each began to wonder what was taking her so long.   
  
****************  
  
Amanda's eyes wildly scanned the room. Nothing. No one there. Her shoulders slumped forward as a sound somewhere between a sigh and a sob escaped her lips. Tightly clutching the robes in one hand, she bent to retrieve the thick dictionary she had caused to fall. Shaking her head at her nervousness, she backed out of the room before turning off the light and hurrying to the safety she knew was below.   
  
A moment after she'd gone, a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the room, allowing the man hiding behind the curtain a clear view into the hallway. As he slowly moved toward it, he brought a hand to his face to slowly peel back the mask that had concealed his identity for so long.  
  
****************  
  
"What was that sound Amanda?" Lee asked as she came back into the room. He noticed her notice the lack of people in her kitchen and supplied, "Francine's in the laundry room and Billy's in the den." He watched her hurry toward the laundry room and toss a robe in before heading to the den just as Billy's voice rang out, "Anything will do, Amanda, really."  
  
"I'm glad you feel that way, sir, because that's all I could find," she answered as she stood, head turned, eyes squeezed shut, holding out her hand to Billy's groping one. He finally caught hold of the robe as he said, "I'm sure it will be just fine, Amanda."  
  
She hurried back over to Lee, who was now facing the opposite direction, in order to track her movement. Just as she reached him, the 'clunk' from upstairs came again. Amanda jumped and cursed, "Damn, dictionary!"  
  
"Amanda?" Lee questioned, "Are you okay?" In answer she simply leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. As she felt his right arm come around her back pulling her closer, she breathed a sigh of relief and felt a calm surround her.   
  
"I am now," came her muffled reply.   
  
"What was that sound?" he asked, still somewhat puzzled as to her odd behavior.   
  
"I knocked a book down and I must not have put it back very well," she answered stepping back and pulling her hair off her face. "It just caught me off guard is all and I - well I guess I kinda panicked," she explained.   
  
"Oh," he nodded as understanding dawned. "Well, you're safe now," he said, looking down into her eyes as his right hand soothingly caressed her shoulder.   
  
The sound of footsteps on the stairs caused them to lock eyes as a voice called out, "Is she? Huh, yes, well now that *I'm* here."   
  
Lee looked to the stranger entering the room with a gun in hand preparing to demand his identity when a suddenly very pale and shaky Amanda breathed in a near whisper, "Joe."  
  
Lee looked from her to the man slowly advancing on them. Quickly connecting the name to her ex-husband and realizing he was looking at Joe King and therefore, Philip James, he noted that he did indeed see a resemblance between the two men now that he was actively looking for it. And what was that? Bits of plastic hanging off his face, as though he'd removed a mask? Knowing only that he had to protect Amanda at all cost, he moved her behind him, the action pulling his hand from the water. He immediately became aware of an extreme burning but knew he had to ignore it until he was able to diffuse this crisis. James might not realize it but they were not as defenseless as they seemed. Lee was indeed armed and though he couldn't make a grab for his gun at present, he would be alert to the first opportunity. Also in their favor was the fact that Billy and Francine were nearby and no doubt armed as well and very aware of what was going on in the kitchen. He just had to keep him distracted and away from Amanda.   
  
"You know, I kept wondering when you'd come looking for me, I was waiting for you," he told Lee, "but you disappointed me Scarecrow. You're just not the living legend they make you out to be. I mean look at you, incapacitated by hot water." James began laughing as he gestured to the injury with his gun. Suddenly sobering he said, "Killing you should be fun though. I hope you'll at least put up a *little* bit of a fight. Hi sweetheart," he continued, looking around Lee's shoulder to Amanda, "bet you're glad to see me. Don't worry, hon, this'll all be over soon. I'm just gonna kill Stetson here so we won't have to worry about him coming after us and then we can get outta here."   
  
Amanda was again gripped by a paralyzing fear as she realized her worst fear was coming true. She stood numbly, both hands on Lee's back, a death grip on his shirt. She felt his muscles tense under her hands as he prepared to move. 'Let go, Amanda,' she told herself, 'let go.' Just as she was finally able to get her hands to follow her minds command, Lee launched himself at the other man.   
  
"Amanda, run!" he ordered her.  
  
At that same moment a flash of lightening lit the kitchen even more brightly than it already was before a deafening crash of thunder followed it, shaking the house and it's occupants. They were suddenly plunged into darkness. Amanda saw the gun fire in the darkness and instinctively ducked, praying that Lee had not been hit.   
  
Lee landed on James in the total darkness and took advantage of the momentary confusion of the other man. He began punching him, but James grabbed his injured hand and bit down on the wound, causing Lee to cry out. James then knocked Lee to the ground and began pummeling him with all the strength he could muster. "She's MY wife! Not your partner! Stay away from her!" the crazed man yelled.  
  
Amanda realized she had to do something before Lee was seriously injured. She grabbed the kettle from the stove and swung it sideways at her ex-husband's head. The weight of the water however, caused her to swing wide and what could have been a painful blow, just glanced off the side of his head.  
  
"OW!" he yelled, "Don't do that, Amanda!" And he shoved her back into the kitchen sink.   
  
Lee heard her surprised cry as she fell and the sound gave him the needed strength to throw the other man off his body and knock him into a cabinet. With the gun knocked away in the fight, the two men were left to in a fight to the death with their bare hands. Until, in a bright flash of light, the sound of a single bullet firing was heard, and then nothing.   
  
Amanda's shaky voice emerged from the darkness, "Lee? Are you okay?"  
  
She heard him moving toward her and reached out for him. As she came in contact with him, her body's reaction to his touch was confirmed by the sound of his voice. "Amanda..." he breathed, gripping her hand tightly.   
  
She screamed as she recognized the touch and voice of Joe King. Suddenly she heard a dull thud and felt his grip slacken as he fell to the floor. At that moment light was restored to the kitchen and she found herself looking into the somewhat glazed eyes of her partner.  
  
"An...agent...always..." he managed before falling unconscious to the floor. Before she could stoop to grab him, another shocking sight accosted her eyes. There, still holding his gun in a defensive posture was Billy Melrose, dressed in the old ill-fitting peach and flowered maternity robe her mother still held onto for emergencies. Standing next to him was Francine in Philip's, much too short, red plaid robe. Amanda's final coherent thought as she let her body slide down the cabinet behind her was, 'Lee was right....they did get theirs.'  
  
****************  
  
Only moments later, her home was full of agents. "Where did they come from?" a stunned Amanda asked.   
  
"While you were upstairs, Billy called to have teams put in place," Francine explained as she and Amanda struggled to lift Lee's unconscious body from the kitchen floor.   
  
"Ah, Francine," Billy began as he hurried over to her, "maybe you should let someone a little more appropriately dressed do that." Francine immediately jumped to a standing position and smoothed the barely long enough robe over her backside, all the while turning three shades of red.   
  
"Well," she began, clearing her throat, "I'll just go put our clothes in the dryer."  
  
Amanda and Billy looked at each other and began laughing. The sound was enough to rouse Lee who opened his eyes to see his boss wrapped in what could only be explained as mumu gone wrong. "Ohhhh," he groaned, "I *must* be dead."  
  
Billy laughed again as he said, "You're not dead, Scarecrow, but if this is the punishment I get for laughing at you earlier, believe me, it will *never* happen again! Help him, will you Amanda, I've got to go organize things."  
  
Lee's head was getting clearer by the second and so was the stinging pain in his hand. "Aaaahhhh, damn, that hurts!" he growled. Then forgetting all else for the moment he sat straight up and pulled Amanda in front of him. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you? What happened? Is he-"  
  
Amanda placed her hand over his mouth to silence him. "Shhhh," she said, "I'm fine. In fact, better than I've ever been. Joe's..." she looked up at the passing agent for any word. He silently shook his head in response. She turned her eyes back to Lee and said, "Joe's dead."   
  
"I'm sorry, Amanda, I didn't mean to-"  
  
"No, Lee," she cut him off, shaking her head, "Billy shot him." Then taking a breath she said as an afterthought, "You only hit him with the tea kettle."   
  
"Oh, okay," he responded as she moved to help him up. Cradling his left hand he leaned on her as she led him to the couch. "You should be out of the way here," she said easing him back, "I'm gonna go get some help. Just hang on."  
  
He nodded and closed his eyes as his body responded to the pain by passing out.   
  
*****King Residence 9:30pm******  
  
Amanda sighed as she once again attempted to fathom the events of the last two weeks. Her mother and sons would be arriving home tonight and she was looking forward to the reunion.   
  
Words could not express the joy she felt at finally being able to put that ugly part of her life behind her, once and for all. And now she truly had. The last existing pieces, she had found in the folder Francine had brought to her house the night it all ended. The pictures of her bruised and battered body. She had pulled them from the file and burned them before anyone had noticed them missing.   
  
After thinking long and hard, she had decided to tell the boys their father had been killed while on a mercy mission in the country he was now serving in. Sometimes, she realized, the lies were necessary to protect the innocent. And as cruel as she felt thinking it, she was grateful for the thought that they shouldn't take the news too harshly considering Philip hadn't seen his father since he was a baby and Jamie had never seen him.   
  
She smiled as she thought of how supportive her friends had been. Billy had had the cleanup crew work overtime and by the time they left, all evidence of a struggle was gone, the damage from the one stray bullet repaired. Francine had offered kindness and support of a true friend when she'd explained all they'd uncovered about Joe and Julie's past. And Lee. She laughed as she remembered. Lee had been unconscious well into the next day. But after he had awakened, his friendship and kind words had meant the most of all. Never all those years ago would she have imagined how her life would turn out. But as she lived it each day she was more and more thankful that it had brought her to where she was.   
  
A knock on her window brought her back to the present. She left her spot behind the kitchen counter and went to let Lee in. "Hi," she smiled.   
  
"Hi," he smiled back, his dimples working overtime. "I, uh, just wanted to see how you were doing."   
  
"Good, fine," she was still smiling, "Mother and the boys will be home tonight."   
  
"Yeah, yeah, I remember," he nodded still smiling at her. "Listen, I can't stay, I...just wanted to bring you these." He pulled a bouguet of flowers from behind his back.   
  
"Oh, Lee," she breathed, "they're lovely, thank you."   
  
He smiled and shrugged, "You're welcome. Just my way of saying thanks for all your help while my hand heals," he said, holding up the injured appendage.   
  
The sound of the front door opening and thundering feet and calls of 'we're home, we're home', interrupted any further conversation. Lee leaned down to kiss her softly on the cheek before winking at her and pulling the door closed behind him whispering, "See you tomorrow."  
  
Amanda stood smiling at the back door as her family came running into the room. Family. She suddenly remembered a phrase her father used to use. The ties that bind. All this time she had thought it meant the family relation. Now she realized, it wasn't the actual family. It was the things that kept a family together. Love, friendship. And for Amanda King, those things were embodied in Lee Stetson. Without either of them realizing it, he had become the tie that bound her family together. She smiled broadly as the realization overtook her. Raising her eyes from the flowers in her hand to the darkness outside, she vowed in her heart to one day bring him, fully, into the light of her family.   
  
As her eyes caught a flash of movement in the darkness, she was grabbed from behind in a bear hug. "Whoah," she cried, "hey fellas, did ya miss me?"  
  
"Mom! Are we glad to see you!"  
  
"We had a great time!"  
  
"Oh, Amanda, how did things go dear? I'll have you know my magnets worked wonders! Oh my, darling, what lovely flowers......"  
  
****************  
  
Lee stood just inside the shadows watching the happy reunion. Smiling. Things had changed between him and Amanda over the past two weeks. Changed for the better. He smiled wider as he turned away, realizing that he might someday like to be on the inside of a reunion like that. Someday.....  
  
****************  
The End 


End file.
